What I Meant to Say – Back in November

The kids spent the morning painting masterpieces. On paper, and rocks, and sticks, and anything else they could find; including my carpet, whoops. And while they created Spence helped me color artwork for my church class tomorrow. I’m so glad I was smart enough to marry him. Last night we went on a date while mom watched the kids. I laughed myself silly at a hilarious mishap at Red Lobster, and couldn’t help but chuckle when Jami called later that night and asked Spencer for his email address. Loverboy55 he answered back. The house was quiet with sleeping children when we got home and mom said they had done the routine: brushed teeth, read scriptures, and said prayers before she tucked them into bed. Made me realize that having a baby at our house again is going to be an adjustment. A fun adjustment, but an adjustment still the same.

Anyway, I’m rewinding back to November.

I think I was sickest in November and honestly, I can’t remember a whole lot aside from that.  I know it involved turkey, family parties, and the first snow day of the season but the details are all sorts of mumble jumbled.  It doesn’t help that I only took six pictures the entire month.  So I’m recapping off a few notes I jotted down in my day planner.

* The kids had a cavity free dentist appointment. Second one in a row. Cavity free dentist appointments offer reason to celebrate; and we did.

* I’m the volunteer “art mom” for Brynlee’s kindergarten class.  Which means nothing more than once a month I spend the afternoon hanging out with 24 Kindergarteners pretending that getting paint smeared all over my rear end {and some in my hair} doesn’t bother me in the least. In November we made cool leaf art with rubber stamps and acrylic paint. In theory it was a fantastic idea. But in reality a box of rubber stamps, acrylic paint, 24 Kindergarteners and one morning sickened art mom just don’t mix well. Worse than oil and water, even.

* With a last minute plan switch Jami hosted Thanksgiving dinner at her house this year. We originally planned for the party to be at my house, but Jami knew I wasn’t feeling well and offered to take on the hosting duty. Sisters are the best.

* While the girls prepared the feast the boys had a wood chopping party in Spencer and I’s honor. Every time I curl up next to our warm fire I’m reminded how awesome my family is.

* The day after Thanksgiving Zeb took Spence and the kids up to the mountains for some snowmobiling and tubing, while Jami, Jaelynn and I spent the afternoon watching a strange chick flick on Netflix and wondering if Jaelynn was EVER going to have her overdue baby.

* We wrapped up the party at Jami’s house and then the Zeb & Jami Clan followed us back to our house to deliver and stack all of the freshly chopped wood. {again, my family is the best} There was a point in the wood stacking where all four of our little kiddos were helping. Little hands, in little gloves, stacking wood is so, so cute.

* November also brought the news of the sudden and unexpected death of my Aunt Karla. My mom wrote a good portion of her life sketch and it was so fun to hear her retell stories and memories of her baby sister. She was such a neat lady. I was so sick the week of my Aunt Karla’s funeral that I was unable to attend so I appreciated mom’s numerous phone calls where she would read and reread Karla’s life sketch asking for grammar corrections or my thoughts on what she had written. Karla had the sweetest heart and the most contagious laugh. She will never be forgotten.

A banner made by Spencer and the kids to celebrate the first snow day.

In November Jace discovered Brynlee's dress up trunk. He dressed up and dressed up. He's moved on since then and hasn't pulled any of it out for weeks, but for a while there it was a daily activity.